The Federal House of Representatives denied apologising to President Muhammadu Buhari for summoning him over the state of insecurity in the country.
In a statement issued by it’s spokesman, Benjamin Kalu, it says:
“The president or the Presidency as the case may be never sought an apology from the House of Representatives for carrying out her constitutional responsibility to the Nigeria electorate.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the House never apologised to anyone for excercising her constitutional mandate.”
Kalu said the House is yet to speak on Buhari’s refusal to honour the lawmakers’ invitation, and that, “the House will not do anything to desecrate or destroy the critical institution of democracy.”
The denial by the House of Representatives was in response to media reports during the weekend that the legislative arm of government apologised to Buhari for summoning him over insecurity in the northern region.
One of the reports claimed that the House has dropped both “immediate and future” plans of inviting Buhari to address the lawmakers on rising insecurity in the country.
The House of Representatives on Tuesday, December 1 passed a resolution and summoned Buhari to address the country over the killing of more than 40 farmers in Borno state.
The motion was moved by Satomi Ahmad, lawmaker representing Jere federal constituency, and nine others from Borno State. The lawmakers insisted that Buhari had to address the lower legislative chamber of the National Assembly.
Twenty-hours later, House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila said the president had agreed to address the lawmakers. Buhari later shunned the invitation.
However, Nigeria’s attorney-general Abubakar Malami argued that the House lacked the constitutional powers to summon the president.
